Nira Hotels partners with Edinburgh College of Art

A luxury hotel group has joined forces with the Edinburgh College of Art, to present a fresh challenge to its students for the new term.

Nira Hotels & Resorts, a group of three boutique properties in Edinburgh, Switzerland and Mauritius, has enlisted the creative minds of the College’s second year design students to create a new product for the hospitality industry.

The challenge will run from January to April 2014, during which time the students must design a gadget or accessory which could be used in the food and beverage arena at each of the group’s three hotels; Nira Caledonia in Edinburgh, Nira Alpina in Switzerland and Shanti Maurice in Mauritius. One of the biggest challenges the young designers face will be to create a product that reflects the hotels’ three very different locations of the city, the mountains and the beach.

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Ideally, the product should in some way reflect the hotel group’s philosophy that today’s traveller values attentiveness over formality and inspiration over instruction. With the winning product potentially being available for guests to purchase, it should represent good value for money too.

The successful student may see their product manufactured and distributed at the three hotels; a certain boost for any portfolio. They will also win a well-earned relaxing weekend for two at the stunning Nira Caledonia, one of the finest hotels in Edinburgh.

Nira Hotels & Resorts chief executive MPS Puri said of the partnership: “We’re delighted to team up with the Edinburgh College of Art and support their design students with this project. Hospitality is a constantly evolving industry and it’s important for hoteliers to keep a fresh and innovative approach to what they do. For us, this means looking to the next generation of future talent and finding ways to support creative enterprises.”

The winning design will be announced in April, chosen by a judging panel consisting of MPS Puri and Douglas Bryden, Programme Director for Product Design at Edinburgh College of Art.